Michael O'Toole
Verified
As seen in:
Irish Mirror,
Irish Star US,
MSN,
MSN Ireland,
MSN UK,
MSN Philippines,
Sunday Mirror,
The Daily Mirror,
Yahoo News UK,
Aol,
Daily Express,
Daily Star (UK)
and
Covers:
Crime, defence, military affairs, international security, aviation, child protection, crimes against women.
Crime and Defence Editor, @isfearranstar, @irishmirror. Linguist: 🇮🇹🇫🇷🇪🇸🇸🇦. Crime novelist. Signal: Mickthehack.1970. #MCFC fan. Sopratutto, papà.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a freelancer in Belfast.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I think I used one a few times at the start of my career way back in the early 1990s.
How is social media changing news?
For the better. It is much easier for someone to contact a reporter - and to hold us to account when we mess up. Social media is vital.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Bernstein.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Everything. It's all I ever wanted, and more. I have never been bored in almost 30 years.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Not a clue.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email. If you are a confidential source, we can use several safe formats to protect you.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Twitter, all social media. No software.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter, no doubt.
Who do you wish followed you?
Michael Connelly. And Daniel Kinahan. Maybe he does.
Why did you become a journalist?
I watched All The President's Men when I was about 12. I was hooked. I'm glad I didn't go to bed early that night. What a job.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
All of them. I have won four awards, but have written thousands of stories. Many big, more small. They all count. As do the people in them.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Work hard. Don't be afraid to annoy people, just be right. Specialise. Obsess. Talk to people. Meet them.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time, really. I never stop working, or wanting to hear from sources. But for PR types, the earlier the better. I'd say between 11am and .
What's the best pitch you ever got?
When a source told me: "I shouldn't be telling you this..." And then did. It was a great splash.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I listen to every pitch. I'm not in the business of dissing anyone doing a day's work.
What's your favorite drink?
Guinness.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Out walking or hiking.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I like The Irish News, my first paper. The Sunday Times and Sindo are good. But I read all papers every day.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That we wake up in the morning, meet the head of the Garda press office and he gives us our story for the day.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.